The Queen s consort
by Lt.AliciaWashington
Summary: Crown Princess Clarisse Renaldi is content to marry Rupert Gerard but when she meets the heir to the Spanish throne at her birthday ball things are starting to get complicated...
1. Chapter 1

Joseph knocked on his father´s office door and was told to enter, he closed the door behind himself and walked over to where the Count was sitting on the sofa, drinking tea.

"Hello, my boy, we have something to discuss."

Joseph nodded, sitting down opposite his father and helping himself to some tea.

"I have just received an invitation from the Genovian Palace, the princess´s twenty first birthday ball will be taking place next week."

Joseph wasn´t sure why his father was telling him this, it wasn´t unusual that his parents received invitations to events like this one rather than Spain´s dictator no one was very comfortable dealing with.

"Well, they wouldn´t want Franco messing up the party, would they?"

He joked and his father smiled, then continued "I actually thought of sending you instead, as a representative of the family, at some point Spain will be declared a monarchy again and you will be king, it is time for you to acquaintance yourself with Europe´s Royal family without me being present."

Joseph tried not to roll his eyes, he could understand his father´s obsession with winning the throne back and moving back to Spain from their Exile in Italy but sometimes he wished there would be another topic he could speak about to his father.

He had no ambitions to visit Genovia on his own and listen to his parent´s sympathetic friends all day long and he didn´t even know Princess Clarisse, the last time he had seen her they both had been about ten years old, afterwards she had spend most of her time at an English boarding school and all Joseph remembered was that she was blonde with large blue eyes and that he had found her rather outspoken for a girl, his own sisters being brought up in the strict tradition of the Spanish court.

"And what, pray tell, am I going to do there all night long?"

"Dance, have some fun- I know you´re not fond of such events and it´s time for you to get over it and start enjoying people more than books."

"I can hardly see that happening but fine, if you really wish me to go, I will."


	2. Chapter 2

Clarisse Marie Renaldi tossed her riding gloves onto the table and impatiently brushed a strand of honey blonde hair that had escaped from her pony tail out of her face before flicking through the letters on her desk.

Sighing she decided to she´d better have her breakfast brought to her office after she had showered if she wanted to be through with her correspondence before lunch.

She had the final dress fitting for her ball gown in the afternoon and afterwards the prime minister would arrive for dinner with her parents and she would have to be present.

The princess tried to make up her mind about some political topics that were certain to be discussed that evening while she took her shower, then she sat down in front of her vanity, dressed in her bathrobe and began to untangle her wet hair.

Sometimes Clarisse wondered if it wouldn´t be easier to just have it cut short but then again she could´t bring herself to do it.

She had just began to apply cream to her face when the door opened and her mother came in, smiling at the sight of her daughter in her disheveled state before sitting down on Clarisse´s bed.

"Good morning, Mamam, I´m afraid I will have to skip breakfast, there´s too much paperwork on my desk."

Queen Marie sighed, shaking her head.

"You could just let your secretary deal with most of it, you know Papa does that as well."

"It´s mostly answers to my birthday ball invitations, it´s not right to not answer them myself and I think I will be finished before lunch, anyway."

"Well, if you think so- how was your ride?"

"Wonderful, I feel much more awake now."

Her mother nodded, then said "The Gerards will be joining us for dinner tonight."

"Yes, I know- wait, you mean Rupert and his mother will be coming as well? I thought only Francois would be here."

"Rupert expressed his desire to accompany his parents."

Her mother winked at her and Clarisse blushed, Rupert Gerard, the Prime Minister´s son, was a very handsome man, if a bit boring but perhaps he was simply shy or not comfortable in the presence of the Royal Family, a lot of people had that problem in the beginning and Clarisse was sure Rupert would loosen up a bit once they were engaged.

She had hoped she might fall in love before she turned twenty one and would be pressured to get marry to secure the Renaldi´s claim to the Genovian throne but it hand´t happened and being the practical person she was she hand´t offered any complaints when her parents had suggested Rupert as her future consort.

"Perhaps he is anxious to secure your affections once more, after all there will be a lot of hopeful young men at the ball on Saturday" the Queen added, her blue eyes twinkling as Clarisse laughed.

"Yes, that might be the case- but he doesn´t have to worry, I have no desire to replace him with someone I don´t know and I can´t trust, I wouldn´t put it past certain people to smuggle someone in to try and distract me from marrying Rupert."

"You are starting to sound just like your father" Marie sighed, then got up from the bed again.

"Don´t be too set on marrying him, Darling, if you meet someone you might fall in love with seize your chance."

"That sounds very sweet and romantic, Mamam but I wouldn´t jeopardize Genovia for anything, you know that."


End file.
